This morning I wanted to work through my
first cutting exercise of the silk pieces. I started with the 1-yard piece
of yellow silk that has the 10" X 10" corner missing. I selected the two 13"
X 18" wing tip pieces shown on the layout below with the grain running the
18" length for taking pictures.

First I aligned the edge of the silk with the
edge of my work table. Then measured over 13" and put a piece of masking
tape down on the edge of the silk and marked it as shown below.

Next I laid down an aluminum straight edge and
aligned it with the edge of the work table 13" over from the edge as shown
below.

For years I have used the GEM single edge razor
blade shown below in my model construction. They are kind of pricey now at
$5.25 for a set of ten, but the GEM blade has one of the sharpest edges I
have ever found. This is what I used to cut the yellow silk with this
morning.

My first cut was long the aluminum straight edge
down the 36" length as shown below. This procedure went surprisingly well,
especially with the masking tape holding the silk against the drag of the
cut direction.

The 13" X 36" piece was then turned so that the
blade would cut through the silk with the wood grain of the work table. The
silk was taped and cut into the two 13" X 18" pieces as shown below. Again,
this cut was accomplished with ease. You just have to take your time and be
sure you have it right before you make your cut.

I repeated the process again and cut out the
other two wing tip pieces, which completed all of the cuts for the 1-yard
piece of yellow silk leaving a 10" X 26" piece of silk unused. I might point
out that on the last cut, the corner of the GEM blade had some tendency to
start pulling the silk a little so three long cuts is about all I want to do
before changing to a new GEM razor blade.

With this exercise being as successful as it was,
this afternoon I plan cut the two 12" X 38" pieces of yellow silk for
covering the stab from the new 3-yard yellow silk package and then later
start covering the stab with yellow silk over the Polyspan Lite........................Tandy